Adjustable wrench



April 7, 1964 O. KIROUAC ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed Sept. 4, 1962 III! 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIII/III Ovi/a K IROUAC United States Patent 3,1273% AIMUSTABLE WRENCH Gvila Kirouac, 733 Campbell Blvd, Chihougamau, Quebec, Canada Fiied Sept. 4, 1952, @er. No. 221,277 Claims priority, application tCanada Oct. 6, 1961 1 Claim. ill. 81-166) The present invention relates to a tool, and more particularly to an adjustable Wrench for screwing and unscrewing pipes, nuts, bolts and the like.

In wrenches of conventional construction, the external jaw, that is the jaw opposed to the handle is the one which is movable for adjusting the wrench onto different diameters of pipes, bolts, nuts, and the like, whereby it is precisely in the case where the wrench has to be fitted to an element of maximum diameter and where a maximum torque has to be exerted that the tool is capable of a minimum resistance to the forces imparted thereto due to the fact that the major part of the stem from which the movable jaw depends is out of engagement with the bore of the tool in which said stem is inserted. Inversely, wrenches of conventional type will better resist forces imparted thereto when the jaws are at a minimum spacing, but in this case, the forces required for screwing or unscrewing are at a minimum.

The general object of the present invention resides therefore in the provision of a wrench which will obviate the above noted disadvantages.

A more specific object of the present invention resides in the provision of a wrench which is arranged in such a way that the movable jaw is the internal jaw and is more firmly retained within the handle of the tool with increasing spacing of said movable jaw from the fixed jaw, whereby the wrench of the invention can be subjected to a maximum force for screwing or unscrewing elements of maximum diameter.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a wrench of the character described which due to the principle above mentioned can be manufactured to much smaller sizes for a given maximum spacing of the jaws than wrenches of conventional construction.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an adjustable wrench of the character described which can be handled and adjusted by one hand whereby the operator has his other hand entirely free for other work.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an adjustable wrench of the character described in which the mechanism is completely protected against dust and dirt whereby the tool is very useful for work in mines, and the like.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a wrench of the character described of strong construction and which has no springs or similar relatively fragile element.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an adjustable jaw of the character described which can be easily handled and adjusted even when the operator wears gloves or mitts.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become clearer during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable wrench in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken along line 22 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the movable jaw and of its operating stem; and

3,127,800 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal section of the tool.

In the annexed drawings, the same reference characters indicate the same elements.

The wrench of the present invention comprises a body 1 of generally U-shaped cross-section as shown in section in FIGURE 4, and having an axial bore 2 of circular cross-section and in communication with and opening at the flat underr'ace 3 by means of a longitudinal elongated slot 4, the width of which is smaller than the diameter of bore 2. A fixed jaw 5 is integral with one end of body 1 and is disposed at right angles with respect to the long axis of said body, the said jaw protruding from fiat face 3. The other end of body 1 is extended by a tubular extension 6, the bore 7 of which is of circular cross-section and is a continuation of bore 2 of body 1; bore 7 opens underneath by means of a slot 8 which is a continuation of slot 4 of body 1. The free end 9 of extension 6 is threaded and is screwed within a sleeve 16) which is integral with a disc 11 provided with a hooking lug 12 having a hole 13.

A handle 14 in the form of a cylindrical element, the external surface of which is knurled as shown at 15, is rotatably mounted on the sleeve 10 of disc 11 and on a shoulder 16 formed at the periphery of body 1 in the vicinity of tubular extension 6. Handle 14 is coaxial with tubular extension 6 and completely surrounds the latter and is provided at its end adjacent body 1 with threads 17 of generally square cross-section. A movable jaw 18 integrally depends at right angles from an actuating stem 19 of uniform and circular cross-section and inserted Within bore 2 of body 1 and capable of moving within said bore and also within bore 7 of tubular extension 6. Stem 19 is provided with a longitudinal rib 20 serving as a connection between jaw 18 and the outer end of stem 19 and provided with rack teeth 21 on the remaining portion of its length. Rack teeth 21 engage the threads 17 of handle 14. Rib 21) passes through slots 4 and 8 of body 1 and tubular extension 6 respectively and can slide within said slots but with only a very slight play. Rib 20 prevents rotation of jaw 18 and positively maintain the same in the same plane, that is the plane of fixed jaw 5, but allows longitudinal displacement of movable jaw 18 towards and away from the fixed jaw 5.

The adjacent faces of jaws 5 and 18 are preferably provided with serrations 22 and 23 respectively, in order to obtain a better grip on a pipe or the like. Serrations 22 and 23 have preferably a V-shape.

To move the movable jaw towards and away from the fixed jaw, it is only necessary to turn handle 14 with respect to body 1. As handle 14 is disposed between disc 11 and shoulder 16 of body 1, said handle cannot become longitudinally displaced with respect to body 1, and rack teeth 21 of rib 21) by engaging threads 17 of handle 14 cause longitudinal displacement of stem 19 within bores 2 and 7 and thus displacement of movable jaw 18 towards or away from the fixed jaw 5. As the movable jaw 18 is disposed between the fixed jaw 5 and thread 17 of handle 14, the greater is the space between the two jaws, the nearer to the movable jaw is the engagement zone between thread 17 and rack teeth 21. Moreover, in all positions of the movable jaw 18, its actuating stem 19 is in engagement with bores 2 and '7 over the entire length of said stem 19 and similarly rib 29 engages slots 4 and 8 over its entire length.

Thus, the wrench in accordance with the invention has the great advantage of being capable of exerting a very good and strong grip on an element to be screwed or unscrewed, independently of the diameter of said element, and thus of the spacing of the jaws of the wrench. In fact, the greater is the spacing, the greater is the resistance of the tool to the forces imparted to the same due to the fact that thread 17 engages nearer the movable jaw 18.

The arrangement in accordance with the present invention provides a wrench which, for a given overall length, has a maximum possible spacing of the jaws which is much greater than in conventional wrenches. This is facilitated moreover by the fact that stem'19 of movable jaw 18 can move within the entire length of the handle, that is of tubular extension 6 which, together with sleeve 14, forms the handle of the tool.

It should also be noted that, in the wrench in accordance with the invention, the rack teeth 21 and thread 17 are not exposed to dirt and dust.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

An adjustable wrench comprising an elongated cylindrical body, having a fixed integral jaw at one end at an angle to said body, an axial extension at the other end of said body of a smaller diameter than that of said body, said body and said extension being provided with an axial bore closed at one end by said fixed jaw and opening at the free end of said extension, said bore being in communication with the exterior at one side of said body and of said extension by means of a longitudinal slot extending from said fixed jaw to the free end of said extension, a peripheral shoulder formed at the junction of said body and said extension, the free end of said extension being externally threaded, an inwardly threaded sleeve screwed on the threaded free end of said extension, a disc integral with said sleeve and forming a radially outwardly protruding abutment shoulder, a tubular sleeve spacedly surrounding'said extension and rotatably bearing on said first-named sleeve and said body, and prevented from longitudinal displacement with respect to said body and said extension by abutting said shoulders at its two ends, said tubular sleeve having inner threads at its end adjacent said body, protruding in the space between said tubular sleeve and said extension, a stem longitudinally displaceable within said bore and having on one side a longitudinal rib longitudinally displaceable within said slot, a movable jaw secured at an angle to one end of said stem and co-operable with said fixed jaw, said rib extending from said movable jaw to the free end of said stem, and rack teeth formed in said rib along the entire length thereof and in threaded engagement with the threads of said sleeve, rotation of saidsleeve causing movement of said movable jaw towards and away from said fixed jaw, to thereby adjust the spacing between said aws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,584 Gavin et al Feb. 28, 1888 783,814 Benson Feb. 28, 1905 1,198,532 Garretson Sept. 19, 1916 1,382,938 Singer et al June 28, 1921 2,389,933 Rober Nov. 27, 1945 3,046,821 Legris July 31, 1962 

